 – What is it about the natural world that calls to us? Is it the color of the macaw’s feathers? The vibrant sheen of the beetle’s carapace?…){kind=link}
RALEIGH, NC (PNAN) – What is it about the natural world that calls to us? Is it the color of the macaw’s feathers? The vibrant sheen of the beetle’s carapace? Now on view through March 22, 2022 at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, this new special exhibition, “Exquisite Creatures: The Art of Christopher Marley” also asks is it the overwhelming diversity of life, or the repetitive patterns that nature has conjured?
A collection of 350 stunning 3-D displays of rare as well as real organisms from all over the world, including a goliath birdeater tarantula from French Guiana, the largest spider species in the world; a Gaboon viper from Tanzania, sporting the largest fangs of any venomous snake in the world; zebra mantis shrimp from South China Sea, known to use their claws as hammers to bludgeon their prey; plus minerals and crystals including black chalcedony from India and vanadinite from Morocco.
Each piece celebrates the conjunction of art, science and nature, and according to Marley, “The exhibition as a whole creates a universal entrée to unfamiliar elements of the natural world that has power to seduce even the most hesitant or squeamish visitor.” In addition, Exquisite Creatures also marks the return of special exhibitions to the Museum for the first time in three years.
“Art and science are both very close to my heart,” says Museum Director and CEO Eric Dorfman. “Exquisite Creatures deftly combines art and science in a way that we hope will compel guests to discover their own, unique connections to the natural world.”
All the vertebrates used in this artwork are reclaimed, meaning they passed of natural or incidental causes, most often in captivity. As Marley notes, “When organisms die in the care of the institutions or individuals dedicated to their husbandry, they can either be disposed of or they can be preserved and incorporated into lasting tributes to their masterful design.”
For more information, see www.naturalsciences.org
About
Oregon-based artist, naturalist and photographer, Christopher Marley uses preserved specimens to shine a light on the incredible diversity of nature. Over the course of his career, Marley has held solo exhibits in a variety of galleries, museums and retail spaces, including the Stamford Museum & Nature Center, the Houston Museum of Natural Science and Saks 5th Avenue. He has also published several popular books, “Pheromone: The Insect Artwork of Christopher Marley” and the 2015 New York Times bestseller “Biophilia.” He currently maintains studios in Willamette Valley, Oregon and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
About
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh is an active research institution that engages visitors of every age and stage of learning in the wonders of science and the natural world. In addition to two downtown buildings showcasing seven floors of world-class exhibits, the Museum runs Prairie Ridge Ecostation, a 45-acre outdoor education and research facility in west Raleigh, as well as satellite facilities in Whiteville, Greenville and Grifton (Contentnea Creek). As a whole, our mission is to illuminate the natural world and inspire its conservation.